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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: Oct 22 2015 at 12:33pm | IP Logged
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This was the topic at our last local moms meeting and it was great to hear about what is going well.
What is going well in your homeschool?
We have been enjoying A Little History of the World with the accompanying Audio CDs. Meant to do it over the summer as a crash course of sorts, but that is how it goes around here.
For the first time with the number 5 child, we are listening to the audio cds for Prima Latina and I am really enjoying them and learning! I know the gal's accent is annoying to some and maybe we are learning some incorrect pronunciations, but the information is sticking. My fourth child is beginning in Henle I in a co-op class setting and it is difficult! I did the first lesson with her and my old brain couldn't continue. So, I plan to work through Prima Latina, flaws and all, and actually learn this stuff.
I guess what is working well at the moment is using audio and video supplements for our schooling! :)
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 23 2015 at 11:35am | IP Logged
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Thanks for starting this post! I also love to hear what other moms are using successfully.
This year my ds is using Video Text Algebra. The lessons are short; there is a video and an audio component, which works great for him (vs just reading the material from a book).
We also made a switch to Fix-It Grammar, which is working well. Ds likes it much better than the CHC grammar book from last year.
CNN Student News- my kids LOVE this. It is the high light of dd's day, LOL.
Dave Ramsey: Foundations in Personal Finance We are just watching the dvds... not doing the workbook, since my kids are grades 5 and 7. However, I have to say this program has made a HUGE impact here. My kids watch for "Dave cars" on the road and try to guess if cars have been paid for or not. We have had many conversations about the price of things, credit cards, etc. The other day ds was playing with his Star Wars Legos, and I heard him saying, "Luke, use the Force to negotiate a better deal on that land speeder." All this from watching the dvds for 15 minutes twice a week.  So I would say this program has given us the biggest bang for our buck.
Finally, a shout out to the book The God King for ancient history.
Probably my favorite read so far of the school year- really brings that era to life.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Oct 23 2015 at 11:53am | IP Logged
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We've liked the history video lectures.
And I shifted around grammar to have more children in the same book which is working great!
I've also restarted reading Saint stories to start our day. This includes the littlest ones AND reminds the bigger ones of the stories they've all heard.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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SallyT
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| Posted: Oct 23 2015 at 12:05pm | IP Logged
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So far we're having a really good year. Particular hits:
The World's Story for world history. My 7th grader is in his second year of reading TWS, my 6th grader just started it. She likes it better than he does, but they both enjoy it.
His favorite history text, which both kids are also using this year, is This Country of Ours, for U.S. history. The 7th grader stays up at night to read ahead. The 6th grader likes it, but seems to prefer world history.
Still, both those books continue to be hits here.
MEP for math. I'm using Lial's Basic College Mathematics alongside it for my 7th grader, to be sure that we cover some pre-algebra things like exponents, order of operations, etc, but in the main everyone is doing MEP. And I love it. I can *see* them learning. I learn alongside them. It's great.
I'm reading Ronald Knox's The Creed in Slow Motion with the 7th grader and totally enjoying it. It's kind of a stretch for him, as it's more like theological discussion and less like narrative, but it's so good!
The 7th grader is also enjoying Sword of Clontarf for his historical-fiction read.
6th grader is reading Julie of the Wolves for her free-reading/literature novel and seems to like that as well.
She also really likes The Way Things Work, which is part of her science reading for this year.
So for us, the booklist overall is working really well. I'm also liking Cambridge Latin online for the 6th grader; the 7th grader is doing Henle with me, and that's great but a slog!
Our focus on dictation is also a good thing about this year -- I've never been disciplined about it before, but this year we do short dictation passages almost daily, as we're building that habit. I'm seeing huge improvements in spelling and punctuation already.
Fun to hear about what's working in everyone's homeschool life right now!
Sally
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jawgee
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Some successes are carryovers from last year, and we have some new successes, too.
America the Beautiful has been a great addition to our history. We're using it as a spine and we're marking our maps with map dots as we read. What a delight it's been to study history this year!
The kids are enjoying Sassafras Anatomy. I'm taking it slow - reading a chapter one week and doing activities the off weeks. My 1st-4th graders enjoy the story and are learning quite a bit, and this is a nice break for my 8th grader who doesn't enjoy science. He's keeping a log book and I assign videos and readings for him on the off weeks.
Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels is a treasure, too. We're also map dotting our maps when we read this book. Sometimes when we read a chapter then I'll find a YouTube video to supplement the chapter. We've watched videos about the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Hoover Dam, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Such a fun way to visit the US without leaving home.
Successes that we've hung onto from last year:
Classically Catholic Memory - we're on Delta Year, completing our fourth year as a co-op!
Teaching Textbooks - this year we have students in TT5 and Algebra I.
The Bible Tells Me So - we took this book slowly last year, and are still learning from it and enjoying it this year.
English Lessons through Literature - I have students in Level 1 and Level 3. They listen to the audio, we do the book together, and then they have an assignment (copywork, etc.) in the PDF workbook that supplements the book. Such a simple, rich program
www.xtramath.com - simple and effective
I am glad to read, Melinda, that your kids are enjoying Foundations in Personal Finance. My oldest is starting that in January, after he finishes some extra classes he's taking right now. Maybe I'll have my 10YO watch the videos with him. DH and I did Financial Peace University and I think Dave Ramsey's principles are so needed in today's culture!
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Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
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SallyT
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| Posted: Oct 23 2015 at 3:10pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I forgot Richard Halliburton! Always a hit here. :)
Sally
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SeaStar
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I think your 10 yo definitely could watch Dave Ramsey, Monica. My dd was 10 when we started. There is a lot of humor in the program, which always goes down well here.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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Erin
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Huge focus on literacy here this term. So for the younger ones All About Reading continues to be the missing link! chanting their phonic sounds daily, spelling and then writing sentences using their spelling words. Simple but effective. Making big inroads 
Also this is Term 4 here and our third year where we immerse ourselves in picture books for the Term. We suspend other subjects and borrow hundreds of picture books. Just love this term. We call it Leaping into Literature.
So all this literacy is a huge success. Reading is moving along fast and the children are noticing sound patterns everywhere
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Erin
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jawgee
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SeaStar wrote:
I think your 10 yo definitely could watch Dave Ramsey, Monica. My dd was 10 when we started. There is a lot of humor in the program, which always goes down well here.
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Thanks. I think it will definitely appeal to him. He's saving money right now so he can go to Mars when he turns 14, you know.  
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Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
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mom3aut1not
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Well, for me the thing that is going very well is actually keeping track of the time my ds spends on his schoolwork. Because he is enrolled in Clonlara and is in high school, I have to keep track with my handy dandy spreadsheet. (For anyone considering Clonlara, I have to do a lot of this because he does not do any "normal" high school courses. If a high school student does a standard high school course, you don't really have to keep track of the time spent.) I had lots of trouble with tracking time with my older kids, but this is going relatively well.
Actual curriculum that is going well..... as well as can be expected....
Saints & Angels, Crosses & Crowns
All About Spelling
Right Start Geometry
Middle Ages Portfolio
Life Skills (Adolescent)
merit badge booklets
SLT materials
Something that is not going so well --- making transition plans for him. I have some work to do and some serious thinking. My Eagle Scout son will not be able to go to college or live independently. Because of all the stuff he has done, people often don't realize just how impaired he is. Right now he gets lots of support and 1:1 attention in order to do what he does. What will the future hold for him? I have work to do, but it's not easy when I spend six hours a day homeschooling him, spend additional time at Adaptive PE classes and Scouts, and help out my other disabled kids. Not to mention all the housework I need to do.....
I'd better run!
In Christ,
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Deborah
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: What is going well in your homeschool?
